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Common dreams and
interpretations
By Skyla Bradley
Intro to Psychology
A3
Various theories about dreams
• Sigmund Freud-
o One of the most famous psychologists who believed that dreams occur
from repressed emotions that people cannot express in a normal
society
o The unconscious mind acts out the unacceptable behaviors, ideas, and
desires that, in the waking life, are stifled
o He believed that dreams were most often based on symbolism for
sexual desires
• Carl Jung-
o Carl Jung believed that dreams served as time to reflect on one’s self
in the “waking world”
o Dreams could also help solve problems and are used to think about
particularly difficult issues
• Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley-
o In 1973, these two researchers proposed an entirely new theory about the
origin and purpose of dreams
o When sleeping, the brain pulls experiences and imagery from the dreamer’s
memory through “random electrical brain impulses” that form together as
dreams
o The researchers also felt that the images pulled from one’s brain do not
actually form a story, but the dreamer’s conscious mind creates a story in
order to try and decipher what happened in the unconscious mind, and this
theory is known as the activation-synthesis hypothesis
• After many books were published about dreams and their meanings since the
1970’s, many popular theories arose about the reasons why we dream and how
we can understand the hidden meanings within them
Various theories about
dreams
• Calvin S. Hall-
o Calvin believed that dreams are formed from certain elements in a dreamer’s personal
life
o After studying over 50,000 dream journals to find various patterns and themes, Hall
devised a system that categorized the content of a dream
o He believed that in order to understand a specific dream, there are certain aspects that
are needed to do so: the actions of the dreamer, the various objects and people, the
interaction between the characters, and how the dream transitions as well as where the
setting is are all necessary when defining a dream
o His cognitive theory of dreams is based on the thought that ideas of one’s self, family,
friends, and environment are expressed through dreams
o Through his many years of research, Calvin discovered that dreams of people from all
across the world are generally more similar than they are different
o With sleep journals that spanned through generations, he concluded that dreams
remain pretty consistent, although the changes corresponded with the changes in
waking life
• G. William Domhoff-
o A colleague of Calvin Hall who studied at the University of Miami
o Through extensive research, Domhoff theorized that dreams were manifested based on the concerns,
thoughts, and emotions that a dreamer dealt with when his brain was conscious
o He believed that dreams served as a great “psychological portrait” of an individual
o “Give us 1000 dreams over a couple of decades and we can give you a profile of the person's mind
that is almost as individualized and accurate as her or his fingerprints.” –G. William Domhoff (the
“Purpose” of Dreams)
Top 10 common dreams
 The Association for the Study of Dreams has done extensive research finding dreams that
many people of all ages and around the world have shared, and has studied the meaning
and the feelings behind the creation of those common dreams.
10. A car driving off a cliff or crashing
• People of all ages can have this dream, not just people who can drive
• This common dream includes the dreamer either being the passenger of the car or the driver
• A few different scenarios could be involved in this dream: while driving, your breaks may fail, you lose
control of the steering, or you head over a cliff
• Interpretation: The dreamer is feeling completely powerless over some situation in his life
9. Faulty machinery
• In dreams, many types of technology can show up, including
telephones that don’t dial, lose connection, or call the wrong number,
lost internet connection, or general broken machinery that does not
function as it should
• Interpretation: The dreamer is losing touch with reality or part of
his body is not properly functioning. Alternatively, the dream could mean
that he is worried about connecting with certain people in real life
10 top dreams
continued…
8. Lost or trapped
• When a dreamer is lost, he is most commonly lost in a forest, a large city, or a building that feels and looks
like a maze
• Being trapped in a dream usually creates terror when you are unable to move, you are buried alive, caught
in a web, or trapped in some sort of scary situation
• Interpretation: When the lost dream occurs, the feelings of trying to make a decision or react in a
situation are usually prominent within the dreamer, and when the trapped dream occurs, the person may
actually feel “trapped” in some way when they’re awake, or they can’t seem to make the right choice
7. Missing public transportation
• A common dream is running to catch some form of public
transportation such as a train, bus, or plane, but it leaves right before the
dreamer reaches it
• Another variation of this type of dream is when an event is occurring,
and the person has to participate in it but he comes late and the event has
already begun without him
• Interpretation: In real life, a missed opportunity or an emotionally
taxing decision can cause this dream to manifest
Top 10 dreams
continued…
6. Failing a test
o This type of dream is most common in people who have been out of school for a long period of time
o A test is failed in this type of dream when the person is late to the test, he becomes lost while trying to find
the testing place, he did not prepare for the material, or he does not have the proper equipment
o Interpretation: A dreamer could feel that he is being tested in some way in his life, or he is unprepared or
is not playing the proper and correct part in his life
5. Ill or dying
• This is a dream that includes seeing a loved one become ill or die, or experiencing it yourself
• Interpretation: The person has been emotionally hurt recently or he is afraid something will hurt him
o If someone else is dying or is hurt in the dream, the dreamer is representing a part of himself in
that other person, and therefore he is watching a part of himself die or a part that he fears losing
4. Being chased
• The chaser in these dreams are monsters, a particularly frightening
person, or an animal
• This has been considered the most common nightmare theme
experienced in people
• Interpretation: Something in the dreamer’s life, whether it is a person
or even an emotion, makes the dreamer feel threatened
Top 10 dreams
continued…
3. Missing or unhealthy teeth
• In this dream, when the dreamer opens his mouth, his teeth will be decayed and unhealthy or they will
begin to drop out of his mouth
• Interpretation: In a basic sense, dreaming about missing teeth can represent fear of becoming
unattractive or being found as ugly, but in a deeper sense, this dream could be manifested from
embarrassment or when the dreamer loses power
2. Dream nudity
• Despite what this type of dream is called, the dreamer is not always completed naked in them; instead he
can find himself partially undressed or wearing clothes that are inappropriate for his surroundings, such as
wearing a bathing suit to school
• The most common feelings described with this dream are embarrassment or a sense freedom
• Interpretation: The person feels extremely vulnerable or awkward in his life, and he stays in a shell
instead of revealing who he is
1. Falling or sinking
• This is the most common type of dream that almost everyone has at some
point in their life
• The scenario is usually falling through the air, but it can also be seen as
drowning in water
• Interpretation: The person is insecure and does not receive the
support he needs, or the dreamer feels overwhelmed and almost wants to
give up
Differences between men and women
• Research about the different types of dreams that people have has led to the discovery of how
men and women dream differently
• Men-
o In one study, men were seen to
have more aggression occurring in
their dreams
o Men appear in a man’s dream twice
as much as women do
o Men are more likely to dream about
sex (85% of a male study claim to
dream about sex occasionally)
o The dreams are more frequently
located in an outside setting
• Women-
o William Donhoff concluded that women’s
dreams feature more details and characters
than men’s, and they usually last longer
o Women seem to dream about both men and
and women equally
o Seem to have more nightmares than men,
which can be broken down into three
categories: being chased, losing a loved one,
or confusion
o 83% of women dream about being chased
o More likely to have a family member as a
character
Why study dreams?
• Although many people believe that studying dreams is pointless because dreams “don’t mean
anything”, by carefully observing someone’s dreams, a lot about the individual person as well as
the brain as a whole becomes clear
• Freud believed that studying dreams can allow us to
possibly understand neurotic disorders more, and by
using dreams, we open the door into the mystery of
the unconscious mind.
o If many dreams from one person are analyzed,
we can use them to understand what is causing
abnormal behavior as well as what is altering
the person’s behavior
o “The interpretation of dreams is the royal road
to a knowledge of the unconscious” –Sigmund
Freud
• Some people believe that if
someone experiences a
recurring dream, then the
unconscious mind is trying to
warn the dreamer that he is
continually making the same
mistake in his life
• Overall, by understanding dreams, people can learn the
mysterious signals that their bodies and minds are
sending to them about their wishes, desires, and emotions
Bibliography
•Cavaliere, Victoria. "Sex, being chased, most common dream themes." NY Daily News. N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 25 Nov.
2012. <http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-09-19/news/33957277_1_dream-men-and-women-happiness-index>.
•Cherry, Kendra. "Dream Characteristics." Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/tp/characteristics-of-dreams.htm>.
•Cherry, Kendra. "Dream Interpretation: What Do Dreams Mean?." Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/p/dream-interpret.htm>.
•Cherry, Kendra. "10 Facts About Dreams." Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/tp/facts-about-dreams.htm>.
•Chiriac, Jean. "Dream Interpretation and Psychoanalysis." Pyschoanalysis . N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.freudfile.org/psychoanalysis/dream_interpretation_and.html>.
•Domhoff, William. "The "Purpose" of Dreams." dreamresearch.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://www2.ucsc.edu/dreams/Articles/purpose.html>.
•Obringer, Lee Ann. "How Dreams Work." How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/dream7.htm>.
•Turner, Rebecca. "30 Common Dream Symbols and their Meanings." World of Lucid Dreaming. N.p., 2008. Web. 25 Nov.
2012. <http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/30-common-dream-symbols.html>.
•"A Brief Biography of Calvin S. Hall." dreamresearch.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
•"Top 10 Common Dreams and Their Meanings." Ultimate Listverse. N.p., 7 Oct. 2008. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://listverse.com/2008/10/07/top-10-common-dreams-and-their-meanings/>.
•"Psychology Study – The Advantages of Dream Analysis and Therapy." Scientific Dream Interpretation. N.p., 10 Sept. 2010.
Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://scientificdreaminterpretation.com/blog/?p=881>.
•"Women Have Nightmares, Men Dream of Sex." Live Science. N.p., 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.livescience.com/5275-women-nightmares-men-dream-sex.html>.

More Related Content

interpreting-dreams.ppt

  • 1. Common dreams and interpretations By Skyla Bradley Intro to Psychology A3
  • 2. Various theories about dreams • Sigmund Freud- o One of the most famous psychologists who believed that dreams occur from repressed emotions that people cannot express in a normal society o The unconscious mind acts out the unacceptable behaviors, ideas, and desires that, in the waking life, are stifled o He believed that dreams were most often based on symbolism for sexual desires • Carl Jung- o Carl Jung believed that dreams served as time to reflect on one’s self in the “waking world” o Dreams could also help solve problems and are used to think about particularly difficult issues • Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley- o In 1973, these two researchers proposed an entirely new theory about the origin and purpose of dreams o When sleeping, the brain pulls experiences and imagery from the dreamer’s memory through “random electrical brain impulses” that form together as dreams o The researchers also felt that the images pulled from one’s brain do not actually form a story, but the dreamer’s conscious mind creates a story in order to try and decipher what happened in the unconscious mind, and this theory is known as the activation-synthesis hypothesis • After many books were published about dreams and their meanings since the 1970’s, many popular theories arose about the reasons why we dream and how we can understand the hidden meanings within them
  • 3. Various theories about dreams • Calvin S. Hall- o Calvin believed that dreams are formed from certain elements in a dreamer’s personal life o After studying over 50,000 dream journals to find various patterns and themes, Hall devised a system that categorized the content of a dream o He believed that in order to understand a specific dream, there are certain aspects that are needed to do so: the actions of the dreamer, the various objects and people, the interaction between the characters, and how the dream transitions as well as where the setting is are all necessary when defining a dream o His cognitive theory of dreams is based on the thought that ideas of one’s self, family, friends, and environment are expressed through dreams o Through his many years of research, Calvin discovered that dreams of people from all across the world are generally more similar than they are different o With sleep journals that spanned through generations, he concluded that dreams remain pretty consistent, although the changes corresponded with the changes in waking life • G. William Domhoff- o A colleague of Calvin Hall who studied at the University of Miami o Through extensive research, Domhoff theorized that dreams were manifested based on the concerns, thoughts, and emotions that a dreamer dealt with when his brain was conscious o He believed that dreams served as a great “psychological portrait” of an individual o “Give us 1000 dreams over a couple of decades and we can give you a profile of the person's mind that is almost as individualized and accurate as her or his fingerprints.” –G. William Domhoff (the “Purpose” of Dreams)
  • 4. Top 10 common dreams  The Association for the Study of Dreams has done extensive research finding dreams that many people of all ages and around the world have shared, and has studied the meaning and the feelings behind the creation of those common dreams. 10. A car driving off a cliff or crashing • People of all ages can have this dream, not just people who can drive • This common dream includes the dreamer either being the passenger of the car or the driver • A few different scenarios could be involved in this dream: while driving, your breaks may fail, you lose control of the steering, or you head over a cliff • Interpretation: The dreamer is feeling completely powerless over some situation in his life 9. Faulty machinery • In dreams, many types of technology can show up, including telephones that don’t dial, lose connection, or call the wrong number, lost internet connection, or general broken machinery that does not function as it should • Interpretation: The dreamer is losing touch with reality or part of his body is not properly functioning. Alternatively, the dream could mean that he is worried about connecting with certain people in real life
  • 5. 10 top dreams continued… 8. Lost or trapped • When a dreamer is lost, he is most commonly lost in a forest, a large city, or a building that feels and looks like a maze • Being trapped in a dream usually creates terror when you are unable to move, you are buried alive, caught in a web, or trapped in some sort of scary situation • Interpretation: When the lost dream occurs, the feelings of trying to make a decision or react in a situation are usually prominent within the dreamer, and when the trapped dream occurs, the person may actually feel “trapped” in some way when they’re awake, or they can’t seem to make the right choice 7. Missing public transportation • A common dream is running to catch some form of public transportation such as a train, bus, or plane, but it leaves right before the dreamer reaches it • Another variation of this type of dream is when an event is occurring, and the person has to participate in it but he comes late and the event has already begun without him • Interpretation: In real life, a missed opportunity or an emotionally taxing decision can cause this dream to manifest
  • 6. Top 10 dreams continued… 6. Failing a test o This type of dream is most common in people who have been out of school for a long period of time o A test is failed in this type of dream when the person is late to the test, he becomes lost while trying to find the testing place, he did not prepare for the material, or he does not have the proper equipment o Interpretation: A dreamer could feel that he is being tested in some way in his life, or he is unprepared or is not playing the proper and correct part in his life 5. Ill or dying • This is a dream that includes seeing a loved one become ill or die, or experiencing it yourself • Interpretation: The person has been emotionally hurt recently or he is afraid something will hurt him o If someone else is dying or is hurt in the dream, the dreamer is representing a part of himself in that other person, and therefore he is watching a part of himself die or a part that he fears losing 4. Being chased • The chaser in these dreams are monsters, a particularly frightening person, or an animal • This has been considered the most common nightmare theme experienced in people • Interpretation: Something in the dreamer’s life, whether it is a person or even an emotion, makes the dreamer feel threatened
  • 7. Top 10 dreams continued… 3. Missing or unhealthy teeth • In this dream, when the dreamer opens his mouth, his teeth will be decayed and unhealthy or they will begin to drop out of his mouth • Interpretation: In a basic sense, dreaming about missing teeth can represent fear of becoming unattractive or being found as ugly, but in a deeper sense, this dream could be manifested from embarrassment or when the dreamer loses power 2. Dream nudity • Despite what this type of dream is called, the dreamer is not always completed naked in them; instead he can find himself partially undressed or wearing clothes that are inappropriate for his surroundings, such as wearing a bathing suit to school • The most common feelings described with this dream are embarrassment or a sense freedom • Interpretation: The person feels extremely vulnerable or awkward in his life, and he stays in a shell instead of revealing who he is 1. Falling or sinking • This is the most common type of dream that almost everyone has at some point in their life • The scenario is usually falling through the air, but it can also be seen as drowning in water • Interpretation: The person is insecure and does not receive the support he needs, or the dreamer feels overwhelmed and almost wants to give up
  • 8. Differences between men and women • Research about the different types of dreams that people have has led to the discovery of how men and women dream differently • Men- o In one study, men were seen to have more aggression occurring in their dreams o Men appear in a man’s dream twice as much as women do o Men are more likely to dream about sex (85% of a male study claim to dream about sex occasionally) o The dreams are more frequently located in an outside setting • Women- o William Donhoff concluded that women’s dreams feature more details and characters than men’s, and they usually last longer o Women seem to dream about both men and and women equally o Seem to have more nightmares than men, which can be broken down into three categories: being chased, losing a loved one, or confusion o 83% of women dream about being chased o More likely to have a family member as a character
  • 9. Why study dreams? • Although many people believe that studying dreams is pointless because dreams “don’t mean anything”, by carefully observing someone’s dreams, a lot about the individual person as well as the brain as a whole becomes clear • Freud believed that studying dreams can allow us to possibly understand neurotic disorders more, and by using dreams, we open the door into the mystery of the unconscious mind. o If many dreams from one person are analyzed, we can use them to understand what is causing abnormal behavior as well as what is altering the person’s behavior o “The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious” –Sigmund Freud • Some people believe that if someone experiences a recurring dream, then the unconscious mind is trying to warn the dreamer that he is continually making the same mistake in his life • Overall, by understanding dreams, people can learn the mysterious signals that their bodies and minds are sending to them about their wishes, desires, and emotions
  • 10. Bibliography •Cavaliere, Victoria. "Sex, being chased, most common dream themes." NY Daily News. N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-09-19/news/33957277_1_dream-men-and-women-happiness-index>. •Cherry, Kendra. "Dream Characteristics." Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/tp/characteristics-of-dreams.htm>. •Cherry, Kendra. "Dream Interpretation: What Do Dreams Mean?." Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/p/dream-interpret.htm>. •Cherry, Kendra. "10 Facts About Dreams." Psychology. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/tp/facts-about-dreams.htm>. •Chiriac, Jean. "Dream Interpretation and Psychoanalysis." Pyschoanalysis . N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.freudfile.org/psychoanalysis/dream_interpretation_and.html>. •Domhoff, William. "The "Purpose" of Dreams." dreamresearch.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www2.ucsc.edu/dreams/Articles/purpose.html>. •Obringer, Lee Ann. "How Dreams Work." How Stuff Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/dream7.htm>. •Turner, Rebecca. "30 Common Dream Symbols and their Meanings." World of Lucid Dreaming. N.p., 2008. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com/30-common-dream-symbols.html>. •"A Brief Biography of Calvin S. Hall." dreamresearch.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. •"Top 10 Common Dreams and Their Meanings." Ultimate Listverse. N.p., 7 Oct. 2008. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://listverse.com/2008/10/07/top-10-common-dreams-and-their-meanings/>. •"Psychology Study – The Advantages of Dream Analysis and Therapy." Scientific Dream Interpretation. N.p., 10 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://scientificdreaminterpretation.com/blog/?p=881>. •"Women Have Nightmares, Men Dream of Sex." Live Science. N.p., 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.livescience.com/5275-women-nightmares-men-dream-sex.html>.